GOMBE, Nigeria — The Federal Government, through the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), has inaugurated a modern 160-shop vegetable market in Kwadon, Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, as part of efforts to strengthen market access for farmers and boost the agricultural value chain.
The market was developed by NALDA, while the Gombe State Government provided complementary infrastructure, including perimeter fencing, road access, solar-powered streetlights, and water facilities. Speaking shortly after the handover on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Cornelius Adebayo, described the project as a model of collaboration between the Federal Government and subnational governments.
“This project shows a typical example of what synergy can look like. It is a pure example of cooperation between the Federal Government and the subnationals,” Adebayo said. According to him, the market was conceived to provide market linkages for vegetable farmers and buyers while stimulating economic activities in the area.
Adebayo disclosed that NALDA had completed irrigation facilities and cold storage infrastructure in three locations across Gombe State to support year-round vegetable production and ensure a steady supply of produce to the market. “NALDA currently has projects that will support this market. We have completed irrigation facilities and cold storage infrastructure in three locations within this state, and we have cleared and prepared those lands for farmers to cultivate vegetables that will supply this market,” he said.
He further revealed that Gombe State would be the second state in the North-East to benefit from the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Mega Farm Project, after Bauchi State. “We have the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Project, and the President has directed that one be established in every state. Gombe State will be the second state in the North-East to benefit from this project,” he stated.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, who commissioned the market, said the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on food security and rural development. Yilwatda noted that the partnership between NALDA and the Gombe State Government demonstrated how coordinated investments could improve livelihoods and expand economic opportunities for rural communities.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya commended the collaborative effort behind the project and revealed that a company had already acquired land near the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, located about 15 kilometres from the market, to establish a tomato processing factory, completing what he described as the full agricultural value chain from farm to industry to market. The governor also disclosed that a proposed superhighway linking Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, and Borno states had been approved to pass through the area, which he said would further open up economic opportunities for residents.
The initiative is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector and ensure food security across the country, with similar projects expected to be replicated in other states.
